After The End
by TheObsessedBookworm
Summary: Post-Tortured Souls. Naomi and Ayumi may have got back safely, but what happened to the ones they left behind? Reawakening as ghosts they set out to find one another before the hell-dimension that is Heavenly Host Elementary School collapses and erases their existences forever.
1. Chapter 1 - Yoshiki

_**AN: So, I watched Tortured Souls the other day and it left me really restless, and I decided to write a story. I **_**know _it's not supposed to have a happy ending but once the idea popped into my head it wouldn't leave so here it is - I didn't want to just leave it lying around on my computer. I meant to upload the whole thing in one go once it was finished but it's taking too long so here's the first chapter - enjoy!  
Oh, also, spoilers if you haven't watched Tortured Souls yet and T for occasional language and (potential) gore... though if you're here reading this you know what a story about Corpse Party entails!  
Disclaimer: I don't own Corpse Party, and frankly I don't think I'd want responsibility for it anyway!_**

One

Yoshiki was awoken by a low rumbling in his ears, a dull throbbing along the right side of his head and a sharper, more persistent pain in his stomach. Opening his eyes he lay for a long moment, peering blearily at the dark floor below him that stank of mould and age. Tremors sent dust rising into the air, and as he watched a small crack began winding its way across the wooden floor. Bewildered, mind blurry, he pushed himself up onto his knees and surveyed his surroundings, which most definitely belonged to Heavenly Host Elementary. Its decrepit state was instantly recognisable; the cracked and stained walls; the dirty windows and doors barely hanging on their hinges; the dark floor filled with so many holes and stained with such copious amounts of blood.

As he looked this way and that, trying to ignore the pain in his stomach, Yoshiki was confused. He could have sworn he had-

Oh.

The pain had suddenly intensified and he had finally turned his eyes onto himself. The mangled remains of his stomach were startlingly illuminated by the soft blue aura his body seemed to be emitting and he couldn't help but stare. Blood and viscera glinted mutely under the dull light, completely coating his stomach. There was a hole in his shirt and blazer, and the flesh beneath. His entire torso and the right side of his face felt warm and sticky in a horribly unpleasant way. Fighting a rising nausea Yoshiki stared on with a morbid, twisted intrigue. A moment later, however, he turned to the more pressing matter of his head, which he could have sworn had been caved in. He vaguely remembered a horrific pressure and a slight crackle of pain through the back of his head, but now it felt fine. Gingerly he lifted his hands to his skull, probing gently, timidly. Everything seemed to be intact, oddly. There was no hammer-sized hole in his face, in fact it was wholly attached and in its proper place. The only damage was his right eye, and the area around it.

Upon finding his head and face very whole save the eye he wondered if it was, perhaps, because he would have been dead either way without that final blow. Satisfied that his head was still intact Yoshiki clambered to his feet, wincing as ice-cold pain sliced along his belly. Glancing down he found his torn intestines all but hanging from the gaping wound and glittering wetly in the dull light of his blue aura. At least that meant he was a benevolent ghost, right? Because he was definitely a ghost, no doubt about that. Pressing a hand, with a grimace of disgust, to his stomach in an attempt to keep his ghostly insides _inside_ Yoshiki stared down the corridor he recalled Shinozaki and Yuka stood before. Assuming they had run down it to escape death he stared through the gloom, praying they had got away safely. While he had little doubt that Yuka had met a similar fate to himself he still hoped to everything, be it holy and not, that the others had got away safely. A faint tremor made him stumble and he felt something soft flatten under his foot with a soft _squish_. He froze, somehow knowing what he would find when he looked and completely terrified to. But he still did.

It was him. The mangled remains of his body lay just behind him, all but hidden in the oppressive gloom. With an embarrassingly high-pitched noise that vaguely resembled a '_hiii'_ kind of sound he staggered away, barely registering the pain that shot through his belly as he did. He couldn't look away. The familiar blonde hair and floor all around it were stained red, dotted with various glimpses of greyish-pink visible here and there. Vaguely, remotely, Yoshiki was again intensely glad that his ghostly form's head was perfectly intact – he didn't fancy wandering around with his intestines _and _his brain trying to flee through the gaping holes in his body. Fighting a rising nausea he felt his stomach convulse and doubled over with a short cry of pain. _God _it hurt.

Turning resolutely away he started walking, or limping because every step was another stab of agony through his stomach, and he would have gone faster – much, _much _faster – if he were in any way capable. He couldn't face looking any longer and he was overcome with the urge to get away, as if to deny it had ever happened. The pain in his belly made that impossible, however. He had never really appreciated the fact that those who died in Heavenly Host had to suffer forever more, but now that he had joined their ranks it was becoming startlingly clear. Every so often the ground would shake and he would stagger, glancing about fretfully as he pondered the rattles' source – were the spaces collapsing again?

"Onii-chan!" The plaintive wail bounced down the corridor and Yoshiki immediately recognised the voice, wondering if he was not the only one of their group to awaken as a ghost. "Onii-chan!" He followed the cries to the walkway that connected the two buildings and upon trying to open the doors found them stiff and unwilling to open. He persevered and eventually got one open enough to squeeze through, trying to ignore the pain the exertion sent rattling through him.

"Yuka?" His voice was a little hoarse from pain as he recognised the small figure, knelt at the centre of the walkway. She span around at his voice and for a moment they both cringed back, Yuka from his open stomach and Yoshiki from her empty, bloody eye socket. He wondered if it hurt.

Who was he kidding? It definitely did.

"K-Kishinuma?" Yuka hiccupped, wiping her eye with the back of a hand. "But you..."

"I know - so did you." Yoshiki said it gently as he gestured to her bloody smock and face. "Are you… alright?" It was a stupid question, he knew, but she had been crying so he had to ask. He limped a little closer.

"Mm." she sniffed and gave a small nod, wiping her eye again as a few more errant tears slid free. "Just cold… and… Onii-chan…"

"No sign of Satoshi, then?" She shook her head, rising to meet him and wincing a little as she did. "That's a good thing, right?" Hobbling towards him with a nod she smoothed her smock gently, a small smile lighting up her young face.

"I'm glad you're here though..." She said haltingly. "It would be scary on my own." Yoshiki managed a smile, deciding not to mention that they were dead and therefore could no longer be harmed. But then again, he realised, she did had a point - even as a ghost the school was pretty scary and company certainly wouldn't go unappreciated. So long as it wasn't someone like those three brats or the guy who had killed Yuka or Yo-

Halting his train of thought as a thrill of terror swept through him Yoshiki tried to push the memory away as his stomach ached painfully and a strange sensation ran again through the base of his skull. Tightening his grip on his errant insides he forcefully turned his thoughts to their situation. So they were still stuck in this place? With a grimace he wondered if he was just imagining that the place looked even worse for wear than it had before he'd died. Somehow it seemed even more hopeless now, as if something important had vanished.

A sudden flicker of white light distracted Yoshiki from his brooding and he was turning just as Yuka gave a yelp. Whether it was happy, scared or simply shocked he couldn't tell.

"Onii-chan?!" Yoshiki gave a start, snapping his head in the direction Yuka had started frantically hobbling. Sure enough, from within the swirling white light a familiar silhouette had appeared, staggering for a moment and then righting themselves. Yuka collided with him with enough force to elicit a soft 'oof' before she was hugging him.

Satoshi stared with watery eyes for a moment before smiling, waving the stumps of his arms pathetically for a moment before gently resting them on his sister's shoulders. They appeared to have been shorn off at the elbows by some unknown force. The pair's faint blue auras brightened, wavered and vanished, and Yoshiki suddenly noticed that his had vanished too.

"Yuka..." He murmured, lifting his eyes from Yuka's head to meet Yoshiki's horrified ones. Even Satoshi was dead? Then what had… what had happened to Nakashima? And what had happened to… to Shinozaki? He barely dared to think about it, but then again he knew Satoshi and therefore he knew that the brunette would never have died without making sure that at _least_ one of his friends could live on in his place. With a long sigh Yoshiki swallowed, let go of his horror, and shot his friend a wry smile.

"You too, huh?" Eyeing Satoshi's mutilated arms he raised his eyebrows. "What the hell happened?" There was something infinitely sad in the other's eyes as he shrugged gently, patting Yuka's head with a stump as she moved to cling to his side. As she did Yoshiki noticed the blood on his shirt and wondered if it was his or… someone else's. He didn't know which would be worse.

"We appeased Sachiko." Satoshi said, glancing about nervously as the ground shook once more. "And when we did this whole place started collapsing – for good this time, I think. We had to use our pieces of the charm to get back but… Naomi lost hers so I lied and said I had Yuka's." he paused to glance at his sister. "But I didn't and… there was this white light and then this pain in my arms and then, well, here I was again."

"The things we do…" Yoshiki said with another pained smile, shaking his head. This time Satoshi joined in before suddenly becoming serious and looking him dead in the eye.

"Yoshiki, Shinozaki's safe - she got back home." He said and Yoshiki's legs went weak as he resisted the urge to sob with relief. Taking a few deep breaths he closed his eyes for a long moment.

"And Nakashima?" He asked once he had recovered, both because he was worried himself and because of Satoshi's expression, which seemed almost too sad for her to be alive.

"Safe." He said with a slight nod, something like shame flashing into his eyes. "I can't believe the last thing I did was trick her." He said it in a quiet monotone, obviously to himself, but Yoshiki caught it and couldn't help but ponded the contrast - his last words to the girl he liked had been a confession of sorts, while Satoshi's had been to trick her.

"Onii-chan..." Yuka was staring up at her brother, face a picture of worry and concern. Managing, with an obvious effort, to smile at her Satoshi heaved a sigh and looked about him at their steadily crumbling surroundings.

"So this is the end, huh?" He said, directing his eyes back onto Yoshiki, who shrugged a shoulder.

"End of the line." He agreed, and strangely it didn't bother him. Maybe because now he knew at least Shinozaki was safe he didn't mind the thought of having died for her and Yuka. But while _he_ felt oddly content he saw Satoshi's expression, a moment later opening his mouth to try and comfort his friend. A sudden, familiar sensation fell over him and Yuki Kanno of the three murdered children appeared before them. They all jumped, and Yuka shrank back a little more into her brother's side.

"You are... Yuki, right?" Satoshi recovered first, and Yoshiki noted the disapproving look she was giving the brunette.

"I told you what would happen if you used a different piece of someone else's charm - why did you still do it?" She asked with an obvious scold in her voice. Yoshiki couldn't help a slight grin at the sheepish expression Satoshi adopted on response.

"I had to save Naomi." He said by way of explanation and Yuki sighed.

"You're all the same." She said, glancing at Yoshiki as she did. "Giving up everything for your friends and loved ones."

"Why are you here?" Yoshiki didn't feel like being told off for dying - he hadn't really intended to when he had followed Shinozaki back, after all - and instead asked the ghost a question. His unintentionally brusque tone elicited a sharp frown from Satoshi and he shot the young ghost an apologetic look.

"I wanted to tell you that this place is collapsing. I thought I should warn you that your existences are going to be gone soon. If your spirits could be put to rest you could probably escape but..." She trailed off, an apology in her young eyes.

"Well I guess that's that then." Yoshiki said, glancing at Satoshi and Yuka. "It's too bad, though. Ending our days in this place." Looking about with distaste Yoshiki stumbled as the ground shook again, more violently this time. He saw Yuka and Satoshi press a little closer together, trying to stabilise one another.

"It's trying to stabilise itself." Yuki said, casting her eyes about fretfully. "But now that Sachiko's gone it can't. The collapse has been slowed but… it won't be long. You should find your other friends and say your goodbyes." And then she was gone, in that abrupt, unsettling manner, leaving the three behind to their crumbling world.

"Wait, other friends?" Satoshi and Yoshiki exchanged bewildered looks, their eyes widening as they realised. "So everyone else became ghosts too?" Yoshiki guessed, finding the idea oddly unpleasant. He could handle himself becoming a ghost, but the others? Satoshi and Yuka were bad enough, and as much as it pained him Yoshiki shuddered to think of how Suzumoto would appear.

"I guess." Satoshi's voice broke into Yoshiki's gruesome imaginings. "But if they did we should go and find them. I would hate to think that someone's ended up alone."

"Mm." Yoshiki nodded, not missing the panic that had appeared on Yuka's blood-stained face. "You alright, Yuka?" With a little squeak of surprise she instantly schooled her expression into an innocent smile under his and Satoshi's gazes.

"Mm-hm." She nodded once for emphasis, but Yoshiki wasn't convinced. Something had frightened her, but he had no idea what. She didn't seem to want to talk about it, though, so he let it go. As they contemplated which building to head into first Yoshiki limped over to join the siblings, and they finally decided to explore the main building, mainly because Satoshi seemed adamant to find Shinohara and tell her that Naomi was safe. Yoshiki kept quiet about his fears of meeting Suzumoto, noticing as he did that Yuka seemed particularly reluctant to head in as well. It made sense - after all it was where that bastard had tortured and killed her, not to mention Yoshikazu roamed its halls. Yoshiki shuddered, suddenly realising he had another reason to be afraid of the building before him. The strange sensation ran through his skull again and he lifted a hand to it, making sure everything was still intact. It was, but honestly he was half-expecting it to cave in at any moment. He _really _didn't want to go through that again.

Not particularly inclined to let Satoshi down he limped along beside his friend without protest, resolutely ignoring the fear that had set his hands shaking. He clamped them down tighter on his intestines and walked on, with a flash of envy noticing as he did that Satoshi had little difficulty walking at all, though he did wince occasionally.

"You alright Satoshi?" He asked after catching another wince and the brunette turned to him in surprise.

"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine. Sachiko managed to get me, is all." Peering at the blood on his friend's stomach Yoshiki shrugged good-naturedly.

"Meh, I've seen worse." Satoshi raised his eyebrows slightly in agreement, eyes flickering to Yoshiki's hands for a brief moment. Shifting them uncomfortably Yoshiki decided he really didn't like people looking at the gaping hole in his stomach. It felt oddly intrusive, and he wondered if his friends felt the same about their wounds. Even if they did he had no intentions of staring for too long because it was depressing and not a little sickening to see them in such a state.

Yoshiki was unsure of how long they had been trawling the school's main building when they finally had to call for a break. None of them wanted to, especially as the tremors shaking the floors and walls had been steadily growing in frequency and strength, but it was quickly becoming more and more necessary. Yoshiki all but collapsed against the nearest wall, sliding into a sitting position with a soft curse. Who knew getting disembowelled would be so painful?

"How're you guys holding up?" he asked into the quiet as Satoshi leaned on the wall opposite and Yuka all but fell to the ground in a similar motion to Yoshiki.

"Better than you two." Satoshi said, concern all over his face. "Are you alright?" he went down on one knee beside Yuka, letting her lean against his shoulder as he wrapped a shortened arm around her. She gave a weak nod and an 'mm' but both boys knew she was lying. She was probably having the worst time – having been stabbed in the leg and chest _and_ lost an eye. Yoshiki admired her tenacity.

"_Fuck."_ Yoshiki sighed, grimacing when he realised he'd sworn in front of Yuka. Satoshi's glare made him wince. "This was never s'posed to happen." He had _seriously_ never meant to die in Heavenly Host; though he supposed he _had_ had a slight inkling it would happen when had followed Shinozaki back. While he didn't necessarily regret it, at least not much, he still wished he hadn't. That, he guessed, was to be expected. _None_ of this was supposed to have happened but here they were, trapped in some hell-dimension that was about to fall apart and erase their existences forever. Wherever Shinozaki was, he hoped she was alright. Maybe not psychologically, but at the very least safe back home.

"Yoshiki?" Satoshi's voice once again snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Hm?" He looked up, finding his two companions back on their feet.

"Are you alright to carry on?" Satoshi asked, moving to stand in front of him. Nodding Yoshiki made to stand up, only to fall back immediately as agony shot through his abdomen. He swore again, more loudly this time, but this time Satoshi didn't silently scold him, instead moving forward with obvious concern.

"Just – just a sec." he managed, trying to catch his breath. "You know what, you guys go on ahead. I'll catch up."

"_No._" The vehemence in Satoshi's voice startled him. "I'm not leaving anyone behind ever again. Even if it kills me."

"You're already dead." Yoshiki pointed out, eyebrows raised at his friend. Satoshi shot him an irritated look before, in a well-practised and almost instinctive gesture offered an arm that was supposed to have a hand attached to it to help him up. Something like shock flitted across his face as he took note of his shortened reach before he simply moved closer to make up for it. Yoshiki stretched out a hand and then hesitated, knowing it would cause his friend pain to take the offered aid. His arms were, to be frank, a bloody mess, the stumps still raw and glistening wetly in the flickering of the failing lights.

"Yoshiki?" Satoshi caught his hesitation and asked after it. Unsure of what to say Yoshiki had opened his mouth to try and explain, or maybe make an excuse, when Yuka moved to stand beside her brother and also offered her hands.

"Let's go, Kishinuma." She said with a sweet little smile, and Yoshiki gave in.

"Sorry." He murmured, taking the offered hands and stump. All three grimaced, wincing in pain, before Yoshiki was back on his feet, hurriedly collecting the intestines that had slipped free and forcing them back into their rightful place with a firm hand. Satoshi, meanwhile, was shaking his arm painfully as Yuka caught her breath, her eye glimmering faintly with a slight dampness. Yoshiki opened his mouth to apologise again but he was cut off before he could start by a faint voice. All three ghosts looked round instinctively, searching for its source.

"I'll go check it out." Yoshiki said after a long moment of silence. "Stay here."

"You can't go on your own…!" Satoshi protested, earning himself a wry smile.

"It's not like I'm gonna die." Yoshiki said, waving away his friend's concern. "Look after Yuka, catch your breath." And then he was limping away, not waiting for any protest. He half-expected them to follow after him but when he glanced back he saw Yuka back on the floor, Satoshi's stunted arms around her. Smiling slightly Yoshiki faced forward, moving on with no little trepidation.

"_Naomi? Naomi?!" _the voice came again, and with a jolt Yoshiki realised he almost definitely recognised it. He had never actually known what happened to Shinohara, he had kind of assumed she was still with Nakashima. However upon hearing that only Nakashima and Shinozaki had got home safely he had realised the quirky girl's fate. So many of them had lost their lives at the hands of the school and all its ghosts.

"Shi-Shinohara?" he called into the quiet darkness, sudden realising he was all alone in a gloomy, decrepit corridor. Swallowing he crept on, knowing he no longer had a reason to be scared but unable to shake it off. It had become inherent. A sudden, violent tremor shook the floor beneath him, sending him stumbling against a wall and clinging with a free hand as it went on, longer and stronger than any before it. They would really have to hurry if they wanted to find everyone. Above the rumbling he distinctly heard a crash and a small shriek and, regaining his balance, headed in its direction.

Turning a corner he found the corridor beyond almost completely caved in, dark holes littering the floor as cracks spread across the stained walls. In the centre of the hallway, on some of the few remaining floorboards, sat Shinohara. Her hands were over her ears, her knees a little red where she had apparently fallen. Yoshiki found that strange – could ghosts even get hurt? They had all seemed pretty substantial but he had always thought they were impervious to damage, capable only of dealing it out where they saw fit – everywhere, generally.

"Shinohara?" He said her name, a little quieter this time as the shaking finally slowed. At his voice her head snapped up, eyes wide and fearful. Upon recognising him they widened a little more, obviously taking in his bloody face, before she had shot to her feet. They studied each other for a long moment, squinting through the gloom, and Yoshiki noted the slight blue of her face, the bloodshot eyes. He wondered what had happened.

"Ki-Kishinuma?!" Her face suddenly lit up and in a swift, impulsive motion she flung herself at him. Staggering back a step under her weight Yoshiki gasped in pain, tightening his grip on his stomach.

"Oh!" Shinohara made a small noise of surprise, stepping back quickly. "I'm sorry I was just so happy to see someone else – are you hurt?"

"A little." Yoshiki's tone was unintentionally dry as her eyes roamed over him. His face obviously hadn't fazed her much – making him once again glad he hadn't come back as a ghost with it caved in – only making her pale a little but when she saw his hands and stomach, bloody as they were, she blanched.

"What happened?" she gasped, bending a little to look more closely, the gloom obviously obscuring the sight. Wincing slightly Yoshiki shifted uncomfortably, wondering if she had even processed their dead state.

"Uh, scissors are dangerous?" he offered as she glanced up at him for an explanation, removing a hand to show the extent of the damage while keeping the other firmly upon his uncooperative organs. For a long moment she stood still, face steadily growing greener, before she backed away quickly. With eyes wide with horror she stared at him and he watched the realisation slowly creep into them.

"Wh… what?" she managed, sounding horribly faint. "What happened?"

"Yoshikazu." He said, seeing her confusion a moment later and wondering how much she knew, if anything at all. "Big guy, has a hammer? He's pretty strong, as it turns out." He paused. "I was trying to buy Shinozaki some time to get Yuka away and then…" he trailed off, feeling there was no need to explain further and neglecting to mention the part where he had had a hammer through his face. Shinohara's expression was a little painful to look at.

"The Class Pres? And Mochida's sister?" she repeated eventually, brow furrowing. "Where are they now? Have you – have you seen Naomi?"

"Yeah. Nakashima and Shinozaki got out. They're safe, and back home."

"Naomi's… safe?" Shinohara whispered, her eyes brightening with sudden tears. "I remember I was with her – she was crying and I was telling her I loved her and that there were – were no hard feelings and then… But she's safe, right? She's really safe?" Her wide eyes demanded an answer that Yoshiki was all too happy to give.

"Yeah, that's what Satoshi said." He said and was startled when Shinohara suddenly slithered to the floor, burying her head in her hands as she began to sob helplessly.

"I'm so glad…!" Came the muffled wail. "I'm so, so glad!" For a moment Yoshiki hovered awkwardly before he knelt carefully beside her, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder.

"Don't… don't cry, Shinohara." He said haltingly, wondering what to do.

"But I'm so glad!" Shinohara choked, lifting her face to look at him. As she did he noticed the thick purplish-black line running around her throat and frowned.

"What happened to you?" he asked and Shinohara hiccupped, sniffing softly as she tried to get herself under control. Blinking a few times she lifted a hand to the mark, touching it lightly with bloodied fingertips.

"Hm? Oh – I…" she hesitated, worrying her bottom lip for a moment. "I-"

"_Yoshiki_?" A voice interrupted her and Yoshiki glanced up. It was Satoshi's voice, and he wondered how long he had taken finding Shinohara.

"Satoshi! We're here!" He called, and something about his words startled Shinohara from the last of her sniffles.

"Mochida?" she looked to Yoshiki for an answer. "Then is he-"

"Here you are." Satoshi again cut her off, appearing round the corner closely followed by Yuka, who was clinging to his shirt. Shinohara gave a shocked little gasp at the macabre sight the two siblings made.

"Shinohara?" Satoshi didn't sound particularly surprised – perhaps he too had recognised her voice. "Are you alright?"

"Mochida…!" Shinohara rose to her feet and Yoshiki followed suit, sucking in a sharp breath through his teeth as he moved too quickly. "Are you…" she glanced between the three. "Are you all dead?"

"Yeah." Yoshiki said after a moment, "Shinozaki and Nakashima are the only ones who got out alive."

"What?" Shinohara turned to him, her horror written all over her face. "Everyone is…? Miss Yui? And Suzumoto and Morishige?"

"Yeah." Yoshiki nodded, seeing the sadness in her expression and wishing he hadn't been the one to put it there.

"We're trying to find them all," Satoshi cut in, stepping a little closer. "This school is going to collapse and vanish so we wanted to find everyone and make sure they weren't alone." There was a long pause and then Shinohara swallowed with a wince, straightened her back and brushed away the tears clinging to her long eyelashes resolutely. Something about her became set with determination before all of a sudden she gave them the widest, brightest smile.

"Alright. Let's go find our friends."

_**Well, that was the first chapter, I hope you enjoyed! It shouldn't take too long for the rest - it's only going to be three or four chapters long. Please leave a review/etc. 'cause it's really appreciated! Thanks for reading :)**_


	2. Chapter 2 - Mayu

_**AN: I can't quite believe I've uploaded this second chapter within a week of the first - it's unheard of! First off I'd like to thank accentcore8 and 'Ela' for their lovely reviews, as well as Sumiku Agaishi for your favourite. It means a lot!  
Alright, down to business. To all those Morishige-haters out there, bear with me! He's a favourite of mine (gosh, he's like marmite or something!) and 'cause Mayu's the narrator of this chapter he figures quite prominently... it had to happen, so apologies if you don't like him :) Thinking about that I find it quite sad that Morishige's the only one never addressed by his first name... all of the other characters would've been if they'd been narrating!  
But I digress - sorry, tangent. Well, without any further ado here's chapter two, enjoy.**_

Two:

"Shige-nii…? Shige-nii?" Mayu stroked his cold forehead gently, feeling him stir slightly beneath her hands. His eyelids fluttered but didn't open, and she ran her fingers through his matted hair, feeling them snag a little on various knots and tangles. The floor gave another rumble and she paused her ministrations, looking about nervously and watching more dust trickle from the ceiling. Following its path Mayu's eyes fell upon the phone before them, lying quite still and quiet next to the lifeless form of its owner, and another wave of sorrow washed over her. It was closely followed but the guilt she knew was probably irrational but just couldn't shake. It was _her _fault this had happened to him – _she _had let those ghosts manipulate her and it had got her killed. And then Morishige – _her Shige-nii – _had… had…!

Closing her eyes Mayu shook her head, not wanting to remember as the tears welled all over again. Swallowing she told herself to not think about it, that there was no point dwelling on the past, but it was too difficult. As soon as she opened her eyes and saw the blood, saw that little mobile phone, it all came rushing back. Not that it had really gone anywhere. She was deluding herself if she thought she could forget it in the span of a few short hours.

She should never have told him it was her. She knew that now – hindsight was a wonderful thing – but she hadn't been able to stand having her look at her in such a state, especially not with those eyes. Those eyes, usually so clear and cold, so dark with fear and madness. And hearing him say she was _pretty_… she hadn't been able to stand it.

"Why?" she murmured, dropping her eyes to his still face. "What happened that made you like that, Shige-nii? Is it my fault? Was it because I left you?" She got no response, only a shiver, but all the same her hopes raised their heads and she fixed her eyes on him. Bleary, pain-glazed green eyes opened slowly, blinking once before latching onto her. For a long moment his eyes roamed over her face, his expression one of perfect confusion.

"Good morning, Shige-nii." Mayu said softly, hoping not to startle him. She smiled gently, quietly allowing him to take in her whole, unbroken form. Something had happened that allowed her to leave the confines of his phone, where she had been trapped after the dreaded photograph had been taken, and she had found herself back to normal – if a little less alive – when she had awoken, the only evidence of her demise a dull, throbbing ache that pulsed throughout her entire body. All the same she was grateful – she wasn't sure if even a spirit could handle that much damage.

"…" Morishige tried to speak and she saw his lips form her name, but all he got for his troubles was a terrible gurgling sound and another small trickle of blood from the hole in his throat. Mayu cringed at the noise, and Morishige winced in apparent pain, the confusion on his face doubling.

"Don't try to speak, Shige-nii." Mayu said, gently brushing her fingers against his cheek. Something changed in his expression suddenly; his eyes widened slightly behind the crooked glasses. And then he had shot to his feet, staggering in a circle as he finally processed their surroundings. Mayu rose to her feet slowly, concerned. Perhaps, half-asleep as he had been, he had forgotten all about the 'Sachiko Ever After Charm' and the Heavenly Host Elementary School. Her heart ached for him.

Morishige's frantic movements suddenly stilled and Mayu found his eyes fixed on her. His expression scared her. With a jolt she noticed his wide green orbs still held the manic edge they had died with and she stepped towards him, anxious.

"Shige-nii-" she halted as he staggered two steps back, lifting his hands as if to shield himself from her. Worried, Mayu stretched out a hand, noticing as she did that it was shaking slightly.

"It's me, Shige-nii – it's Mayu." She said, watching as his gaze slipped from her onto something behind her and a disturbing kind of stillness fell over him. The failing, flickering light caught his glasses, turning them a flat, opaque white. Apprehensive Mayu turned, following his gaze. He had seen himself – his abandoned, spiritless corpse. Pain splintered across her chest and she turned back, but not before his wide, glassy eyes had met hers, still full of disbelief at his death. He hadn't expected to die. None of them had. Letting her eyes close briefly Mayu fought the persistent prickling, the moisture gathering in her eyes, and her thoughts wandered onto their friends. She didn't know what had happened to any of them, she realised.

Painful choking noises made her eyes snap open, to reveal a staggering Morishige, his head in his hands. There was a faint light gathering around him, coating him in a dim reddish-orange.

"Shi- Shige-nii?" Mayu tried again, thinking maybe he was crying. His shoulders were certainly shaking enough. However, a glimpse of his expression a moment later sent a thrill of fear through her. He was _laughing_. And it wasn't his usual soft, cold 'heh heh'. No. It was a crazed, pained shriek of a laugh that she knew, if it wasn't being obstructed by his broken throat, would sound more like screams than laughter. She had heard it once before, ringing clearly into the space she had inhabited in his phone. Mayu's heart broke a little for him. The aura around him grew a little stronger; red-orange flames licked along his arms, caressing his face with dark tongues. She fancied she could almost see his eyes glowing with some evil, ethereal light from beneath his fingers.

"No- stop…!" Mayu cried, moving to him. He was still laughing – soft little gurgles that seemed more sinister than the hysterical choking from a moment ago. "Please, Shige-nii! _Stop_!" Seeing no other option Mayu wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face against his bloody shirt and wincing from the dark heat rising from the flames encasing his body. Beneath her cheek she felt his chest hitch before he fell still, the laughter petering out. Tightening her grip on him Mayu wondered what she was supposed to do, other than reassure him of his presence – after all it was his losing her that had caused all of this pain, the slipping of his mind, and she desperately wanted to right what she had done. Just as she had sensed the pain in the three children's spirits she could sense the agony in Morishige, and her chest was tight and painful as she hugged him.

"I'm so sorry, Shige-nii." She whispered into his shirt, trying to ignore the overwhelming smell of blood. "I'm so sorry for leaving you. I promise I won't ever go anywhere again so please – _please _come back to me." The tears finally broke the dam, sliding down her cheeks as she bit her lower lip firmly to stop its quivering. One sob broke free before she had squashed them down, allowing only the tears to show themselves.

"M…a…y…u…" her name was barely more than choked little sounds as slowly, slowly, his arms snaked around her, loose at first and then tightening painfully. Pressed against him as she was Mayu clearly felt it as he began to shake again, more violently this time, the noises working their way through his broken throat louder. His head fell against her shoulder gently and she felt the warmth of tears begin to seep through her shirt as his glasses dug into her skin.

"…" he was trying to speak again, and though Mayu couldn't make out his words she could easily make out their sentiment. 'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry Mayu."

"It's alright, Shige-nii." She said, smiling genuinely for the first time in what felt like an age. "It's alright, I forgive you. Thank you for trying to help me… thank you for not leaving me alone." He definitely hadn't gone about it the right way, but she knew well the ways the strange school they had ended up in could warp a person's thoughts, erode their mind until there was nothing left but darkness. They stood for a long time, Mayu stroking his back gently as he cried, tall frame shaking with sobs that made little noise beyond agonised chokes. She waited patiently for them to subside and for a long time they didn't, but as she stood there her thoughts turned to their friends. What had happened to them? Had they met similar fates to her? Or perhaps even similar fates to Morishige – trapped in a world of darkness where madness was the only way out? She recalled briefly seeing Miss Yui before… but other than that, Morishige was the only one of her friends she had come come across. It couldn't be helped, she supposed, seeing as how early she had fallen in the ghosts' clutches. She hoped with every fibre of her incorporeal being that they were alright, but the heaviness in her heart suggested it was hollow.

Sudden movement jolted her from her morbid thoughts and Morishige stepped away from her, out of the circle of her arms. Eyes downcast he didn't bother to hide the evidence of his tears, though he did attempt to clean his glasses with the corner of his shirt, staring resolutely at the rotten floor before hugging himself protectively. She could see the struggle in his face as he tried to regain his familiar, icy composure and she was well aware of the worry plastered all over her own face as she watched him.

"Are you alright?" the words slipped out before she could stop them and as they rang in the air she caught a brief glimpse of _her _Shige-nii as she earned herself a sharp, sardonic look. As his eyes slid back to the floor she desperately wanted to comfort him, but she didn't know how. She could see but a fraction of what he was feeling, and she got the impression that no amount of sweet or soft words would help. Not now, and perhaps not ever.

"Shinozaki?" A voice broke through the quiet before Mayu managed to think of anything to say, and she glanced instinctively about for its source, seeing from the corner of her eye Morishige doing the same with a slight noise of pain.

"Kishinuma? Nakashima? Mochida? Shinohara? Morishige? Su-Suzumoto?" With each name the voice drew a little closer, a little louder, and Mayu recognised it after a moment.

"Miss Yui…!" she breathed, clutching her hands to her breast. A twinge of sadness ran through her as she noted the hesitation with which her name was called, knowing Miss Yui had witnessed her death.

"Come on, Shige-nii." She said, beginning to head in the direction of their teacher's voice. "It's Miss Yui!" She took a few more steps before glancing back, finding him stood very still in the same place. There was something like anxiety in his expression and he tightened his arms around himself as he cast a brief glance at the section of hallway illuminated by the faltering light. Mayu hesitated briefly before moving back to his side. She touched his arm gently, waiting until he met her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked, gently tugging at his sleeve. "It's Miss Yui, we need to find her." His green eyes flitted about restlessly again and he shook his head almost imperceptibly. Frowning Mayu tried to understand; he couldn't tell her, nor did he seem to really want to. It suddenly struck her that perhaps he was afraid, afraid to leave that little pool of light and walk about the school that had corrupted his mind so much. Perhaps he feared regressing once more, despite Mayu's promises to never leave him again.

Worming her hand between his fingers and arm she took hold of his cold hand, squeezing it gently between both of her own. He looked at her slowly, a slight crease in his forehead as his eyes quietly betrayed his feelings.

"It'll be fine, Shige-nii." She said, squeezing his hand a little tighter. "I'm right here." For a long moment she could tell he didn't believe her, but then a little of the tension ebbed from his body and he nodded once with a wince. Not relinquishing her grip on him Mayu turned and began picking her way across the broken floor, towing him along behind her. She could feel his hesitation, the many stops and starts, but she wasn't about to let him just sit and give in to his fear. Better to face it now and get it over with. More than once his hand almost slipped from hers and she would immediately turn and recapture it, exchanging a brief comforting look with him.

As they went Miss Yui continued to call, gradually growing louder as the distance between them closed.

"Miss Yui?" Mayu worked up the courage to call back after a while, pausing to listen for an answer. "Miss Yui?!" There was the sudden clatter of heels before Miss Yui appeared from the gloom at the end of the corridor, rounding a corner and halting. For a long moment she simply stared, shocked.

"Suzu… Suzumoto?" A hand flew to her mouth. "But you…!" They approached each other slowly, Mayu still trailing Morishige, and halted a few feet apart. For some reason their teacher's jacket was tied tight about her neck, stained red in places. Mayu felt the persistent tears resume their onslaught as she noted the soft glow that encompassed her teacher. So Miss Yui had…

"What's going on?" Miss Yui asked her gentle, lively voice wracked with concern. "Suzumoto I saw-" her eyes suddenly caught on Morishige, bloodstained and silent, and her eyes widened, the hand again returning to her mouth to catch a soft gasp.

"We're ghosts, I think." Mayu said slowly, drawing Miss Yui's gaze back onto her. "But if you can see us then…"

"Yes." Miss Yui gave a smile that lacked its usual vitality. "I was caught under a collapsed ceiling and, well, I suppose you could say I lost my head." She lifted a hand to the jacket, smoothing it gently. "I won't be taking this off any time soon."

"Have you seen anyone else?" Mayu asked, still uncertain on the fates of her friends. "Is anyone else still alive?" A shadow fell over Miss Yui's face and she dropped her eyes to the floor, sighing softly.

"I came across Shinozaki just a little before I…" she trailed off, lifting her gaze as she avoided the topic. "She said that it was only herself, Mochida and Nakashima who were still alive." Mayu finally dropped Morishige's hand in order to bury her face in her hands, unable to stop the tears this time. After a moment a gentle hand touched her arm, more hesitant than she was used to, and through her swimming vision saw that even Morishige's cold face was downcast. It was strange, though, there was something like guilt there too and Mayu suddenly remembered the events that had led to his death.

"Everyone?" she beseeched Miss Yui. "Even Mochida's little sister?" The hand on her arm twitched.

"Yes." Miss Yui said, unable to nod.

"Poor thing." Mayu murmured, recapturing Morishige's hand. "She was so young, too." Miss Yui sighed in agreement before she bent her knees a little and stared hard at both of her students.

"Are you two alright– aside from the whole…?" She skipped over the ghost issue, and Mayu wondered if she was asking after their mental wellbeing, considering how bad their physical wellbeing obviously was.

"I'm fine." Mayu said, taking a deep breath and smiling gently. Both females turned their eyes onto Morishige and he avoided their gazes, giving a considerably lacklustre shrug. When their gazes didn't waver he opened his mouth as if to say something, remembered he couldn't and snapped it shut again with a harsh clack of teeth. Deciding not to pursue the subject any further Mayu turned back to Miss Yui.

"Have you seen anyone else since then? They might have… come back like us." She said, and the answer she received was a negative. For all they knew it could have been just them who had reawakened, or all six of their group who had perished within the school. Mayu wondered if they were wandering the gloomy halls alone, and shuddered at the thought. How dearly she hoped not.

"We should look for them." Mayu said her voice quiet but brooking no arguments. Neither of her companions had one to give, however, though she saw a protest flicker across Morishige's face from the corner of her eye. Tightening her grip on him she waited for Miss Yui to start walking and then followed, smiling slightly when Morishige decided to fall into step beside her instead of making her drag him along. His eyes were fixed resolutely on the floor, as if he were afraid to look up.

Following Miss Yui around a corner Mayu heard a soft, 'oh my', from the teacher and peered around her, only to find the corridor in front of them filled with bodies. Unable to stop a gasp Mayu lifted her free hand to her mouth, feeling her stomach twist slightly. Fighting the rising nausea she looked towards Morishige, worried, and found his eyes still glued to the floor. With a pained wince he swallowed, hand tightening convulsively around Mayu's, and she pressed herself more firmly against his side, hoping to ground him. They walked on.

The corpses lining the corridor ranged from bleached white bones to barely decomposing bodies, and though Mayu desperately _didn't _want to look at them a strange kind of morbid curiosity drew her eyes to them, and she felt torn between disgust and pity. Now she was one of the many, and she wondered how they had ended up where they were; if they had met their ends at the hands of the ghosts, or at the hands of a schoolmate or other living person. Perhaps they had simply lost the will to live, or had perished from starvation or dehydration. She didn't know, and she tore her eyes away each time before she could make any kind of judgement.

Beside her Morishige was faring no better, if not worse. He kept halting, just for brief moments, to stare at the bodies they passed, but where Mayu looked away he kept looking, as if he could not bring himself to tear his gaze away. Most pauses would be over in a matter of moments, but occasionally a kind of calm would fall over him and the slightest smile would curl his lips as something dark flickered about him. Each time she noticed Mayu would, shocked and unnerved, call him back and he would shake himself and deliberately do something, anything, to aggravate the wound in his neck be it swallow, attempt speech or simply turn his head too far or too fast. It was as if he were trying to assure himself that, now, their suffering was no greater than his and so he could no longer take reassurance from that.

The gap between the pair and their teacher grew steadily wider but, when she found she could take it no longer, Mayu quickened her pace, hurrying them away from that terrible hallway, forging ahead through the gloom until those white bones and glassy eyes could not reach them.

At the end of the corridor they halted, finding themselves at a stairwell. Mayu paused to catch her breath, her heart beating a little faster than usual from the sudden exertion and still, tense atmosphere. Frowning Mayu suddenly caught herself – wasn't she dead? How was it possible for her heart to even _be_ beating? Apparently some earthly sensations remained even after a person entered ghosthood.

"How are you two doing?" Miss Yui asked, turning to look at them as she reached up and absently adjusted the jacket around her neck. Her two students glanced at each other.

"I could be worse." Mayu said after a moment, feeling Morishige shrug once more in response. "And you?"

"Me?" Miss Yui repeated and then smiled a smile that didn't quite reach her bright eyes. "I'm fine." She took a deep breath and the smile became more genuine. "Ready to keep going?" Mayu gave her consent and Morishige a slight curt nod. Their teacher's next question was whether they wanted to go up or down the stairs and Mayu glanced at each staircase. Somehow the one leading down seemed more appealing, perhaps because it would lead to an entrance or exit even if it wouldn't open. Being further from them than necessary seemed like being further from hope, not that there was much now that she was dead. Voicing her opinion Mayu was relieved when neither argued and they headed down slowly, listening to the ominous creaks the rotting wood made with some apprehension. At one point Mayu felt a stair give a little under her weight and stepped too quickly to the next, staggering. If Morishige hadn't steadied her she would have fallen and she turned to him with a bright smile of thanks. He replied with a sideways look and a soft sigh that spoke clearly of his disdain for her clumsiness. Flushing slightly Mayu looked away, flouncing down the rest of the steps while trying to fight a smile at the reappearance of _her _Shige-nii. It was gone by the time he rejoined her but she had seen it and felt it was, for the time being, more than enough.

The floor below was thick with shadows, the only light coming from a light some way down a nearby hallway and the trio stood for a long moment, letting their eyes adjust. It didn't get Mayu very far, as the gloom stayed just as heavy and oily as it had when they had first entered it. She could barely see Morishige, despite his being stood little more than a metre away. Miss Yui turned to them with the soft click of heels.

"Stay close, you two." She said quietly, in her authoritative teacher voice and Mayu felt she had no intention of moving further away than absolutely necessary. There was something about the darkness here, filled as it was with the creaks and shudders of the collapsing school, that made her feel strangely uneasy. She half-expected one of the ghosts to suddenly appear and renew the tortures they had inflicted upon her and her friends when they had still been alive. They inched forward, Mayu resolutely fixing her eyes on Miss Yui's back so as not to lose sight of it.

"Let's just wait a little longer, okay?" Another new voice rattled out of the darkness, so close and so sudden it made Mayu jump. She had heard nothing – no footsteps, no rustle of clothes – to suggest anyone was nearby and it set the hairs on her neck rising as she, instinctively, moved closer to Morishige. He squeezed her hand ever so slightly, but reacted in no other way. Mayu wondered if he was glad for the sudden blindness.

"Yoshiki, are you alright?" the voice came again, no closer and no further away, and the three started at the familiar name.

"Y-yeah." A second voice replied, sounding considerably shaken. "Don't worry about me."

"Kishinuma?" Miss Yui's voice also made Mayu jump and she let out a slow breath, shivering slightly. The tension was becoming much too heavy for her liking. There was a soft gasp from within the darkness, and floorboards creaked softly.

"Kishinuma, are you there?" Miss Yui persevered and Mayu ran her fingers across her lips nervously, waiting anxiously for some kind of reply. She couldn't help but admire her teacher's boldness – she didn't think she would be able to call into such cloying darkness, even with company.

"Miss Yui?" There was the rattle of a door opening and footsteps before quite suddenly, from amidst the shadows, a familiar blonde appeared. He was limping, and looked considerably worse for wear. It was hard to tell the extent of his injuries in the darkness but half his face was covered in blood and a hand was pressed firmly to his stomach. All the same, his familiar roguish grin spread across his face at the sight of them.

"Well, don't you guys look like crap?" He said, apparently unsurprised by their appearance.

"Language, Kishinuma!" Miss Yui chided, and the grin turned sheepish. He paused before glancing back over his shoulder.

"It's alright, you guys. It's just Miss Yui." Mayu peered past him, wondering who 'you guys' were and she was torn between relief and sadness as one by one they moved close enough to be seen. Shinohara came next, her usual bright grin on her face, though Mayu could see her own grief reflected in the other girl's eyes. There was a brief hesitation that had both newcomers looking over their shoulders.

"Come on, Yuka. It's alright." A soft voice coaxed and Mayu felt Morishige stiffen slightly beside her. "What's wrong?" Mayu glanced up, studying Morishige's expression, but she found it as closed off and cold as ever. The tension radiating from him, however, told a different story. There was a soft, childish noise before the final two members of Kishinuma's group joined them.

Mayu couldn't help but gasp in dismay as Mochida materialised in front of her, his arms bloody stumps and face lined with grief and pain. She had thought he had survived. He was supposed to have survived. All the same he smiled sadly when he met her eyes, twisting his torso and gently coaxing his sister to stand beside him. She did, slowly, clinging to his side half out of sight. Mayu couldn't help but stare and her small, bloodied form and she forced herself to look away, trying to think of the positives. They were reunited, weren't they? It wasn't like anyone was wandering the hallways completely alone, was it? Could she dare to even begin to think it was enough?

_**Second chapter, yay! How was it? I really appreciate hearing people's opinions on my writing so... even if they're bad - even if it's just to lament my usage of Morishige! Thanks, and I hope you enjoyed reading!**_


	3. Chapter 3 - Seiko

_**AN: This took me a little longer to get up - sorry I really wasn't in the mood to upload. Thanks very much to Ela for your multiple reviews - I haven't had a chance to yet but I fully intend to utilise your suggestion, so thank you for that!  
And, without further ado**__**, enjoy the penultimate chapter!**_

Three:

The floor shook and Seiko stumbled, cringing at the creaks of rotten wood that emanated from both above and below her. A hand found her elbow, warm and steadying, and it drew her eyes up from the rattling floor.

"Whoops." She said, grinning at Kishinuma who, with just a slight touch of exasperation, returned the gesture.

"Careful." He said, glancing up at the ceiling as it sent a small downpour of dust onto them. Coughing lightly Seiko waved it away with a hand, wincing as the coughs sent a jolt of pain through her throat. A sneeze made her jump and as she went to say 'bless you' found Kishinuma doubled over, breathing in sharp gasps.

"Are you alright?" she asked immediately, instinctively, gently touching his shoulder. His blonde head bobbed in a way that was neither a yes nor a no and, arms tight about his stomach, slowly straightened with a grimace and a soft curse. For a moment Seiko struggled to find something to say that would lighten his spirits but it was too hard, what with her own being so low. The only lights in the dark were that she was, at the very least, reunited with some of her friends and, more importantly, that Naomi was safe. Another wave of elation made her heart swell gently. She knew that she shouldn't be so happy, what with seven of their original nine being dead and the inevitability of her and Naomi's never seeing each other again, but she couldn't help it. Her dearest, darlingest Naomi was safe back home. How could she _not_ be glad? She really wanted to thank Mochida but didn't quite know how. It seemed a little insensitive to thank him for, well, _dying_.

"Should we stop?" Seiko asked, seeing how drawn her blonde, delinquent friend looked with a face lined and grey with pain. For a moment he seemed to consider it before he shook his head firmly, straightening his back completely. "You can lean on me if you like." She said, and catching his unwilling expression flexed an arm for him to see. "I'm strong, see?" It wasn't one of her better lines, not by a long shot, but it still earned her a rueful smile. Letting out a long breath Kishinuma loosened his grip on his stomach and as he shifted Seiko caught another glimpse of deep and bloody reddish-pink that made her just a little nauseous. Upon meeting the three of them she had found herself oddly glad that she had perished in the way she had. So long as she didn't crane her head too far or talk too loud she was relatively alright, though there was a definite chill in her body that occasionally became painful if she thought about it too long. All things considered it could be a _lot_ worse, though she doubted any of _them_ had been killed by loved ones. Shocked at herself Seiko shook her head slightly. It hadn't been Naomi, or at least she hadn't been herself. It had been some strange concoction of the school's, or some dark entity set on destruction. NotNaomi. N_ever _Naomi.

"Shinohara?"

"Hm?" Blinking Seiko started out of her daze, to find the two Mochida's stood at her side. They had been lagging behind a little, and had apparently caught up when she had fallen deep into thought.

"Are you alright? You look a little dazed." The elder Mochida peered at her through the gloom and she hoisted her smile back onto her lips. To be fair it wasn't that hard to smile at him, seeing as he had saved her beloved.

"I'm fine." She chirped, her voice contrasting strangely with their surroundings. She glanced around swiftly, almost embarrassed to be acting so cheerful. All the same Mochida smiled, unperturbed by her somewhat forced cheeriness, and even Yuka, who had been looking on with just as much concern, managed a little smile. Seiko stared at her for a moment, wondering why her little body seemed so tense – it didn't seem to be caused simply by the school's oppressive, broken atmosphere or her horribly murdered state.

As they walked on Seiko considered what her three companions had told her, when they had filled her in on what she'd missed after her early and untimely demise. Mulling it over she hoped they wouldn't encounter any ghosts, though she supposed now that they had been put to rest the four children wouldn't pop up any time soon. There were plenty of others, however, that they could stumble across she supposed. Glancing swiftly at Kishinuma again she wondered just how formidable this 'Yoshikazu' was, and for the briefest moment was taken with a desire to find and see that hulking spirit. She chided herself immediately, telling herself she would jinx it and assuring herself that she really _didn't _want to meet him. Even as she thought it, however, she became aware of a noise somewhere nearby. At first she assumed it was just the school as it fell to pieces around them, but as she listened she realised it was a series of distinct sounds. There were slow, heavy thuds accompanied by the creaking protests of rotting wood, and after every few there followed a kind of muffled, drawn-out _'shff' _sound, as if something heavy were being dragged across the floor.

"Do you guys hear that?" she asked after a minute of hard listening, and they all glanced at her.

"Hear what?" Mochida replied, tilting his head and halting to listen. Upon catching the sound he furrowed his brow. "What _is _that?" They lapsed into silence, and a low groan worked its way above the shuffles and creaks.

There was movement beside Seiko as, quite suddenly, Kishinuma went rigid. His three companions all turned to look and Seiko was startled to see his face had gone completely white, and his eyes looked black his pupils were so wide.

"What's wrong?" she moved a little closer to him, peering into his face. He twitched at her voice, let out a long and shaky breath, turned to her slowly.

"N-nothing." He managed, trying to smile. "Let's just… not go that way, 'kay?" Seiko watched his Adam's apple bob nervously as he swallowed.

"Sure. Doesn't sound very tempting anyway." She said, seeing the two Mochida's give the blonde looks filled with just as much concern as hers were. She took his sleeve gently, feeling him flinch away ever so slightly, and began turning him round so they could backtrack a little way. As she turned she saw something move in the gloom at the end of the corridor they stood in and halted, staring. Someone said her name and she held up a hand to halt them, narrowing her eyes as she peered through the gloom. Then she saw it. It was a silhouette – a person's silhouette – and they had to be the largest person she had ever seen. Stood directly under the flickering of the hallway's only working light they were slow and hulking and shuffling steadily in the four companions' general direction, each step a dull, heavy thud. She thought she saw the glitter of eyes after a moment, and it was undeniably red.

"Uh, guys…?" she heard them turn at her faint voice and lifted a finger that was shaking slightly to point. "_What… _is that?" Yuka gave a little squeak of fear as her brother swore, violently. Even Seiko was surprised – swearing was normally Kishinuma's job.

"We should hide." Mochida said after a split-second's hesitation and Seiko tore her horrified eyes away, more than ready to comply. Moving to the nearest door Mochida made to open it; suddenly realising he had no fingers to do so he stepped back with a harsh noise. Hurrying forward Seiko nudged him aside with a hip with the command to keep an eye on the approaching figure that had instilled so much panic in him and set about attempting to pry the door open. When it didn't budge she danced around a hole in the floor to the next and when it slid open with much protest and no little effort on her part to reveal a flat wall of dusty black she turned to her companions and called to them softly. When they turned she beckoned and Mochida came, steering Yuka forward with his stumps on her shoulders. Kishinuma didn't move.

"Go on ahead." Seiko said to Mochida as he passed her and he nodded, herding his sister into the darkness of the classroom beyond. Sure they were out of sight Seiko turned, a wary eye trained on the slowly approaching silhouette, and moved to Kishinuma's side.

"Come on, Kishinuma." She said, "Let's go." She had hoped that her tone of false optimism would rouse him but when his wide, dark eyes fell on her she knew the attempt had fallen horribly, completely flat.

"I- I can't move." His voice was little more than a choked whisper. "My legs won't move." Seiko noticed he was shaking, so much that it was actually visible.

"What's wrong?" Moving to stand in front of him, Seiko turned her back with some discomfort on their mysterious foe. It didn't seem to matter because Kishinuma's eyes had fixed on him as soon as she had moved.

"Kishinuma?" He moved a bloody hand to his face, running it through his hair and across his skull as if to check his head was still there. Seiko watched with increasing concern. Pausing his movements he rested his hand against his temple and suddenly laughed a laugh that was more of a short, sharp exhale.

"Stupid, isn't it?" he looked at her again. "S'not like he can kill me again, right?" It suddenly all clicked into place and Seiko gave a quiet 'ah', glancing over her shoulder. So the hulking form making its way down the corridor was the infamous 'Yoshikazu'? The very same Yoshikazu she had just moments again been wanting to get a glance of? Hadn't she told herself she'd jinx it?

"Right, but let's not take any chances m'kay?" Seiko raised her eyebrows and he nodded slowly, dazedly allowing her to herd him to the classroom that Mochida and his sister were hidden in. Once they were both safely over the threshold Seiko turned and curled her fingers around the sliding door's edge, pulling. It wouldn't budge. Cursing internally she tugged a little harder, feeling the ragged wood dig into her already sore fingers. Gritting her teeth she heaved again, feeling it give a little under her ministrations. She got it about halfway closed before she had to halt, panting and shaking her hands about in an attempt to alleviate the pain shooting down her fingers.

"It's too stiff." She hissed into the darkness, barely able to make out her companion's silhouettes. They stirred uneasily at this information, and she got the feeling one of them was about to speak when those dreadful, dragging footsteps sounded right outside the door. Seiko froze, despite being stood directly in front of the door and therefore in Yoshikazu's line of sight should he look into their chosen hiding place. As it was lighter out in the hallway Seiko's wishes were fulfilled as the tall, heavyset figure stopped right in front of the gap between door and frame. Turning his head slowly this way and that it appeared he was searching for something, and as Seiko caught a glimpse of his face she felt as though she had seen him somewhere before, and she chewed her tongue thoughtfully despite the anxiety that had her stomach clenching nervously and her head feeling fuzzy. Dull red eyes swept across their hiding place and the mouth hidden behind cracked black lips opened to let loose a long, low moan of something that sounded like pain or distress. Seiko could hear one of her friends gasping softly for breath behind her and though she wanted to turn and check they were alright she still couldn't bring herself to move. Just like Kishinuma, her legs wouldn't move.

It seemed to take an eternity but Yoshikazu eventually decided to move on, lumbering away with his lurching stride, and Seiko caught a glimpse of the sledgehammer she had been told of. It was horribly bloodstained and caked in dried viscera, and Seiko thought it looked horribly dangerous. She would hate to be on the receiving end of a blow from it.

After another age of waiting Seiko finally found the strength to move again, moving right up to the door and pushing her head through the gap she had left. Someone moaned her name softly but she ignored them, scanning the gloom first to her left – the direction Yoshikazu had disappeared in – and then to her right. The light was still flickering, but even as she watched it went out and what little light was left vanished. The darkness that the hallway plunged into was absolute, save for the faintest glow of a light somewhere way down to the left.

"_Shit_." She assumed it was Kishinuma who moaned the word and she turned at last.

"Everyone here?" she asked into the gloom. She got three affirmatives. "I think he's gone – shall we go?" They were slower to reply to her next question, and as she waited she thought she heard a whisper of speech from beyond the door.

"Let's just wait a little longer, okay?" Mochida replied eventually, and Seiko felt no need to argue. She wanted to make sure Yoshikazu was as far away as possible before setting out again. "Yoshiki, are you alright?" Mochida continued, and Seiko watched the shadows stir around her as he moved.

"Y-yeah." Kishinuma sounded shaken, but his voice was stronger than it had been earlier. "Don't worry about me."

"Kishinuma?" Seiko started at the sudden voice, which had rung out from beyond the door. It was strangely familiar, but she couldn't quite place where she knew it from. Yuka gave a little gasp at the sound.

"Kishinuma, are you there?" the voice came again and Seiko again watched the shadows stir. Hands gently moved her aside, and a quiet 'shh' cut off the protest that sprang to her lips.

"Miss Yui?" When Kishinuma spoke Seiko suddenly realised why she knew the voice. Kishinuma slid the door open and, with a jolt, Seiko noticed how easily it went, almost as if it had decided that, now they were no longer in danger of being found by a homicidal spirit, it would open as easily as if it wasn't rotted and stiff with age. She frowned as a bolt of annoyance shot through her. Slowly, with no little trepidation, Kishinuma stepped out into the shadows. For a moment his footsteps receded into the near distance and then stopped.

"Well, don't you guys look like crap?" His voice came from the gloom a moment later and Seiko could quite easily hear the smile in his words.

"Language, Kishinuma!" Her teacher's familiar, chiding cadence quipped in return and Seiko smiled despite herself.

"It's alright, you guys. It's just Miss Yui." Knowing he was talking to her and the Mochida siblings Seiko stepped forward, going slowly so as not to crash into or fall down anything in the darkness. She felt as if she had suddenly been blinded. Knowing she was going to friends Seiko hoisted a smile onto her face and plunged on through the gloom, coming to a halt only when Miss Yui and her own companions came into view. She was a little surprised to see both Suzumoto and Morishige stood a little way behind their teacher, and as she swept her eyes over them she struggled to maintain her smile as another wave of sorrow crashed down upon her. Suzumoto looked relatively alright, though her peachy skin was painted with an abstract pattern of faint purple bruises, and Morishige's side and neck were completely soaked in blood. Seiko resisted the urge to cringe as she wondered what had happened to him. His eyes held a slight manic edge behind his glasses, and his body was completely rigid as if he had been frozen by some dark force. It wouldn't be surprising, really, considering the environment. Realising that there had been no more movement from inside the classroom Seiko turned back, wondering why Mochida and Yuka were taking so long. Beside her Kishinuma mirrored the action.

"Come on, Yuka. It's alright." Mochida's soft voice floated from the pitch black. "What's wrong?" Wondering if their brief run-in with Yoshikazu had frightened Yuka badly Seiko felt overcome by a sudden sympathy, but even as it came over her Yuka made a soft noise of consent and there were the soft footsteps of the two siblings. They materialised beside Seiko and she started slightly at the suddenness of their appearance, hearing as she did a dismayed gasp from one of the newcomers. All at once a kind of tangible tension fell about their group, and Seiko wondered why exactly Yuka was hiding so fretfully behind her brother. Her large blue eye was flitting from Miss Yui to Morishige to Suzumoto and back to Morishige. However much she tried to look away her eye seemed to always manage to flit back to him, and following her gaze Seiko had to admit he _did _make a pretty gruesome sight. Despite that, and the tension that seemed to be radiating from him, he seemed to be the calmest of them all, his frenetic green eyes observing them all quietly from behind his glasses. Something about them sent a shiver down Seiko's spine and she looked away, realising suddenly that all seven of their group who had died were together again.

As they slowly become reacquainted with one another Mochida, being the only one of them who had lived to attempt an escape, explained what had happened with Sachiko and the other ghosts, and Seiko noticed Suzumoto looking oddly relieved at the thought of their being put to rest. As Mochida reached the end of his speech Kishinuma cut in to tell them how, currently, the school was collapsing – for good. At the knowledge of their impending disappearance the three newcomers expressed varying degrees of dismay that quickly settled into resignation. Perhaps it was better that they were going to vanish, instead of lingering in the school's gloomy halls for an eternity, suffering the pain of their deaths as they did. Looking between Yuka, Kishinuma and Morishige Seiko decided that it was certainly the better option. Maybe they might even find some peace of their own.

During their discussion Seiko noted vaguely how constant the school's shaking had become, not particularly violent but nonetheless definitely there. The air seemed to be steadily clouding with thick grey dust that both made the corridor seem lighter while at the same time steadily obscuring it, hiding all the gloom and death beneath a pale blanket. The school gave a sudden loud, fierce shudder that set them all staggering and Seiko distinctly heard _something _collapsing. She wondered what it was as she steadied herself.

"Do you think we should go somewhere a bit safer – where nothing can crush us, I mean?" Kishinuma asked as the clattering died down and they all glanced at him. He shrugged a shoulder. "Just a suggestion."

"Yes, let's." Miss Yui agreed, clasping her hands together. "But where?"

"The walkway that connects the two buildings might be alright." Mochida suggested, waving his arms slightly. "It's a little rundown but will probably be safer than underneath all these floors." No one protested and he began moving away, dragging Yuka who was still clinging to him. He was the only one who knew the way, after all, so they traipsed after him like some horrible, macabre parade. Miss Yui brought up the end of the line, as if she were trying to guard them from any potential harm, preceded by Morishige and Suzumoto, whose proximity was almost as close as the siblings heading their parade. Seiko fell into step beside Kishinuma, who limped along with a look a grim determination on his drawn face.

Seiko couldn't help but look around at their surroundings as they went. Despite the shadows obscuring much of the view, she still strived to peer into the black interiors of each classroom they passed, or cast her eyes onto the holes in both ceiling and floor. Another great shudder tore a small shriek from someone behind them and Seiko whirled, to find Suzumoto pressed close to Morishige's chest as he pulled her away from the edge of a hole that had suddenly appeared in the floor beneath her feet. With quick, deft movements Miss Yui skirted around it, a hand firmly atop her head, chivvying them on when they all paused to stare.

"Come on, we haven't got all day." She said, her voice its usual teacher one. They obeyed, just as they always did, and their grisly procession picked up its pace, following Mochida through the school's bewildering interior. Seiko was impressed by his ability to navigate its many twists and turns, and soon they were approaching a pair of large double doors beyond a small antechamber filled with cupboards and littered with tiny shoes. Casting her eyes about the area Seiko realised she knew it – she had struggled to open those very doors alongside Naomi. Would they, perhaps, open now? She got her answer as Mochida braced his shoulder against the right-hand one and began to slowly but surely force it open. Yuka had finally relinquished her grip on him and was hovering nervously about a metre behind him, small hands clasped to her chest. Kishinuma moved to help his best friend, and there was a soft grating noise as it began to open.

"Shige-nii?" Suzumoto suddenly spoke and Seiko turned just in time to find Morishige moving up along their line. As he passed her she caught a glimpse of the dark, gaping hole in the side of him neck. Had he been stabbed? She couldn't even begin to imagine how much it must have hurt – hanging had been bad enough. The group, save for the two still trying to open the doors, all watched him with interest as he hesitated before, very gently, tapping Yuka on the shoulder. She jumped, spun, and took a hurried step back. Seiko was surprised to see fear fill her young face and peered suspiciously at Morishige, just as he rested his hands on his thighs and bowed.

An apology.

What he was apologising for Seiko didn't know but their cold, bespectacled friend was apologising to Yuka. Seiko had never seen him apologise before – or heard him for that matter, but then she doubted very much he could speak at the moment. She wondered if, seeing as he had clearly done something worth apologising for, he had decided to try and wipe the slate clean before his existence, and the opportunity, was gone for good. That or he was continuing to try and uphold the 'nice guy' appearances that he strove so hard for.

For a long moment Yuka simply stared at him, wide eye confused and afraid, before some of the tension left her and she smiled hesitantly.

"Th-thank you." Mochida turned at the sound of his sister's voice. "I'm- I'm sorry for what happened to you." Seiko had no idea what was going on. Glancing behind her she found Miss Yui looking just as bewildered as her, while Suzumoto watched with an expression that was a clear mixture of worry and pride as a slight smile played across her lips. Facing forward again Seiko watched Morishige stay still for a long moment before he straightened, stared at Yuka for a moment before he nodded as much as he could around the hole in his neck and retreated to the safety of Suzumoto's presence. Catching Kishinuma's eye from where he stood, having also paused his attempts to open the door, Seiko exchanged a brief, confused look with him and he shrugged a shoulder noncommittally before shifting his attention back to the door. It suddenly gave up the fight and swung open, sending him flying through to the walkway beyond with a loud and startled curse. Seiko couldn't help a slight laugh at the spectacle, knowing she shouldn't but unable to stop herself.

"Yoshiki!" Mochida, meanwhile, had reacted quite differently. "Are you alright?" he peered through the open door as Kishinuma gave a low groan in reply and Seiko moved forward to see what had become of the blonde. The sight that greeted her stopped her short for a moment. There was indeed a walkway between the two sprawling buildings, but though she distinctly remembered seeing a rain-soaked forest through the school's window now all she found surrounding the school was a swirling miasma of deep purplish-grey. The sight sent a chill through her and she quickly directed her eyes onto the prone figure at her feet. He was sprawled on the steps leading to the walkway, wriggling feebly in an attempt to get upright as painlessly as possible.

"What was that, you klutz?" Seiko asked with a startled laugh, crossing to his side. Sinking onto one knee beside him she helped him back onto the top step, which actually proved quite difficult when he persisted in using only one hand, the other secured to the wound in his stomach. Seiko didn't know whether to be grateful or exasperated – on the one hand she was glad to be spared of another glimpse of his insides, but on the other _surely_ by now they had all seen worse? In some cases _much _worse? She didn't comment however, except to tease him for the sudden act of clumsiness. He shot her a glare that had no bite behind it and she grinned.

As Kishinuma was settling on the step the rest of their group crept through the open door; first came Mochida, closely followed by Yuka, then Suzumoto pulling Morishige and finally Miss Yui, who gently closed the door after her. Seiko suddenly felt as if they had successfully escaped. It was stupid, she knew, but the strange miasma around them was steadily hiding the buildings and there was a definite sense of no longer being inside the school. Perhaps it was simply because she knew that, technically, they would have been outside had the smoke not been obscuring the view. As she thought about the sudden shift in atmosphere her friends were picking their way down the creaky wooden steps and out across the rubble-strewn walkway. Chunks of stone lay here and there, and fine cracks were steadily creeping across its length and breadth. It made a desolate sight but it was remarkably corpse-free, which instantly made it favourable in Seiko's eyes.

"So this is where Nakashima and Shinozaki escaped?" Miss Yui asked, carefully manoeuvring around a rather large piece of building. Mochida glanced round at her question and nodded once, shame flickering into his expression at the reminder of the way they had gone. Seiko decided now was her chance. Skipping down the steps she all but dashed to his side, hugging him briefly, impulsively, before stepping back and smiling her best smile.

"Thank you, Mochida." She said, seeing the confusion in his eyes. "Thank you for saving Naomi – and the Pres."

"No- it was-"

"Yeah, thanks Satoshi." Kishinuma grinned as he cut across his friend's denials, obviously knowing he was making him uncomfortable. "Who knew you were actually so brave?" That earned smiles from the rest of the group – Mochida's cowardice was, after all, well-known by them all. Or at least it had been. They couldn't exactly call him a scaredy-cat anymore.

"Sh-shut up, Yoshiki." Mochida grumbled, face colouring a little. It quickly drained away, however, as the walkway gave a lurch and they all staggered. Glancing about Seiko found the school's two buildings completely hidden from sight, as if they had been erased completely. Then again they probably had.

Suddenly faced with the reality of their impending disappearance Seiko shivered, hugging herself as fear ran like ice through her veins. She didn't want to disappear. She hadn't thought it would bother her so much but she suddenly found herself on the verge of tears, barely able to move. A hand found hers and she jumped, looking up.

"Shall we do the charm again?" Suzumoto smiled as Seiko looked at her. "That's what Nakashima and Shinozaki did, isn't it? It might not work for us, seeing as we don't have our pieces of the charm, but I think it will make me feel a little better – always together, right?" Seiko looked about at her companions, who had all turned to listen to Suzumoto. There was a brief pause before Kishinuma hauled himself to his feet.

"Sure, why not?" he grinned when the eyes fell on him. "It's worth a shot, right?" The seven took a moment to take in their steadily deteriorating surroundings, the rubble and the creeping miasma, and decided they might as well try. They quickly formed a circle, and Seiko found her hands intertwined with Suzumoto and Kishinuma's. There was no need to put hands in the centre as they had no charm scraps, and anyways Seiko felt a little more comforted by being able to feel their presences through their cold fingers. She tightened her grip on their hands and when Suzumoto squeezed gently the two girls exchanged scared little smiles.

"Alright then, everybody." Mochida again took the lead. "We have to say it eight times in total – one for each of us and Sachiko as well." Seiko wondered if there was any point in addressing a spirit who had already left the building, but she didn't protest.

"Everyone ready?" Mochida's gaze moved steadily around the circle and as his eyes fell onto them each of the companions nodded or gave some kind of consent.

"Okay then." Mochida nodded once and smiled gently. "Sachiko, we beg of you."

"Sachiko, we beg of you." Yuka and then Kishinuma echoed the phrase, and Seiko noticed that the mist was crawling between the gaps in the walkway's fences.

"Sachiko, we beg of you." She went next, determinedly making her voice light and strong so as not to show her fear, despite the fact that the thick purple miasma was now nipping at their heels.

"Sachiko, we beg of you-" Suzumoto paused to glance at Morishige and they exchanged slight smiles. "Sachiko, we beg of you." She said again, her voice wobbling only slightly. Seiko could no longer see her own legs.

"Sachiko, we beg of you." Miss Yui's voice cut clearly through the air, bright and strong and so very alive. The tears came again and Seiko shut her eyes, or she thought she did because she could no longer see the world around her. All she knew was that both Kishinuma and Suzumoto's grips were strong in her own.

_Sachiko, we beg of you._

**_AN: Dun dun duuuun. One more chapter to go! Hopefully it'll be up by the end of the weekend! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you thought - I feel kind of like Morishige was a little out of character 'cause he doesn't seem like the apologising type, but tell me if you thought it was okay/awful - it's most definitely appreciated. Thanks for reading!_**


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